Sealing means for laterally movable car doors



1959 w. A. BEAUCHAMP ETAL 2,907,080

SEALING MEANS FOR LATERALLY MOVABLE CAR DOORS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 11, 1957 'L/NVENTO/PS' \A/lLF/PED H. BmucHc-aMP (JOHN H. GERSTENMfi/E? BY'\- 1 2 $2 5 H Oct. 6, 195 w. A. BEAUCHAMP ET AL 2,907,080

SEALING MEANS FOR LATERALLY MOVABLE CAR DOORS Filed Sept. 11, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 -//v vervrom \A/ILFRED Q. BEGUCHGMP l/OHN H. GEPSTENMQ/El? 0d. 6, 1959 w, BEAUCHAMP ET AL 2,907,080

SEALING MEANS FOR LATERALLY MOVABLE CAR DOORS Filed Sept. 11, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 \n/ILFRED 6'. BEQUCHQMP deg/ 1 H. 65 IPSTENMfi/El? United States Patent SEALING MEANS FOR LATERALLY MOVABLE CAR. DOORS Wilfred A. Beauchamp, Chicago, 111., and John H. Gerstenmaier, St. Marys, Ohio, assignors of one-half to each The Youngstown Steel Door Company, Cleveland, and The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Akron, Ohio, both corporations of Ohio Application September 11, 1957, Serial No. 683,379

Claims. (Cl. 20-69) This invention relates to sealing means for laterally movable doors of refrigerator cars and the like and more particularly to sealing means made of rubber or the like for such doors.

It is an object of this invention to provide sealing means formed of rubber or the like and so constructed as to be capable of direct securement to the stiles and rails of laterally movable doors by means of nails or the like.

A further object is to provide non-metallic sealing means for laterally movable doors of railway refrigerator cars or the like capable of direct securement to the stiles and rails of the doors by nails or the like and of being compressed when acting to seal the doors and so constructed as to materially reduce the degree of permanent set normally produced by such compression.

A further object is to provide non-metallic sealing means for laterally movable doors of railway refrigerator cars or the like capable of direct securement to the stiles and rails of the doors by nails or the like and of being compressed when acting to seal the doors and which shall embody means adapted to be placed under tension when the sealing means is compressed.

A further object is to provide sealing means of the character set forth immediately above which shall be capable of being produced by molding.

A further object is to provide non-metallic sealing means for laterally movable doors of railway refrigerator cars or the like capable of direct securement to the stiles and rails of the doors by nails or the like and of such construction that application thereof to the stiles and rails will pre-stress the sealing means.

Other objects of the invention will become clear as the description thereof proceeds.

In the draiwngs forming part of this specification:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevation of a side wall of a refrigerator car equipped with a laterally movable door to which sealing means embodying the instant invention is applied.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of sealing means embodying the instant invention ready for application to a laterally movable door, parts thereof being broken away.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a vertical section taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 5.

The instant invention is embodied in a molded sealing strip 10 which as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings is rectangular in form. The sealing strip is formed with an arcuate body 11. Flanges 12 and 13 are provided at one side of the body 11. As illustrated more clearly in Fig. 6 of the drawings the flange 12 extends inwardly and downwardly from the body 11 and is enlarged at its inner edge to provide a portion 14 which extends downwardly below the rest of the flange. The underside of the portion 14 is preferably formed with grooves 15.

The flange 13 extends downwardly and outwardly from: the body 11 of the sealing strip. It is formed witha plurality of'spaced openings 16 by means of which the sealing strip may be nailed or similarly secured to the outer edge of the laterally movable door to which it is applied. The relationship between the flange 13 and the enlarged portion 14 of flange 12 provides a recess which is adapted to receive a portion of the stiles and rails of such a door as will be hereinafter described. 1

The oposite side of the body portion 11 is formed with an outwardly extending nailing flange 17. This flange is formed with a plurality of spaced nail holes 18 for the purpose indicated above. To provide a broader base for the flange 17 it is preferably extended inwardly a short distance as indicated at 19. The underside of the flange 17 is provided with a series of lengthwise extending grooves 20 similar to the grooves 15.

Sealing strips heretofore provided which were formed with a generally arcuate body portion subject to compression when in sealing position have uniformly proven to be unsatisfactory. Whether these sealing strips were molded of rubber or similar material or were formed by the extrusion process repeated compression of the body portion of these sealing strips produced in a relatively short time a severe permanent set. As a result of this the effectiveness of the sealing strips was reduced and their life materially shortened.

In accordance with the instant invention, however, the effect of compressive forces upon the body of the sealing strip is substantially minimized and the effectiveness and life thereof are materially enhanced. For the accomplishment of these ends the sealing strip 10 is formed along its length with a plurality of spaced ribs 21 which extend across the body 11 from side to side thereof. The ribs 21 as clearly shown in Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings are relatively thin and extend downwardly so as to terminate adjacent to the flanges 12 and 17 It will be apparent from the foregoing description of sealing strip that the forces which act upon it to place the body 11 under compression will simultaneously produce tension in the ribs 21 which upon release of these forces serves to restore the body portion 11 substantially to its initial form.

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings illustrate the application of the sealing strip hereinabove described to a laterally movable door 22 which in closed position is adapted to lie flush with the inner and outer surfaces of the. side wall 23 of a refrigerator car. The mechanism for moving the door into and out of the door opening and for supporting it for longitudinal movement along a track 24 indicated generally by the reference character M is specifically described in the patent to Beauchamp, No. 2,658,243, granted November 10, 1953, incorporated herein by reference.

The door 22 may be of any desired construction. As shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings, it embodies wooden stiles, one of which is shown at 25 and upper and lower rails 26 and 27. The stiles and rails are formed with a continuously extending rectangular groove 28 so located as to provide continuously extending portions 29 outwardly of the groove.

The dimensions of the rectangular sealing strip shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings are less than the dimensions of the groove 28. Accordingly in applying the sealing strip to the door it must be stretched both in length and width in order to properly position the enlarged portion 14 of the inwardly extending flange 12 and the outwardly extending flange 17 in the groove 28 of the door. A snug fit of the sealing strip within the groove is thus obtained. In positioning the sealing strip the portions 29 of the stiles and rails enter the recess formed by the flange 13 and the enlarged portion of the flange 12. To obtain this relationship flange 12 is rotated into a horizontal position. Rotation of flange 13 toward the outer edge of the stiles and rails also occurs so that when the flange 13 is nailed to the outer edge of the stiles and rails tension forces are set up in a body 11 of the sealing strip. The body 11 is thereby pre-stressed and the forces thereby set up in it are opposite in character to the compressive forces placed upon it when in sealing condition. Thereafter the flange 17 is secured to. the stiles and rails by means of nails driven through the spaced holes 18 formed in the flange.

Before the sealing strip 'v is seated within the groove 28. in the stiles and rails the latter is preferably coated with a mastic material which upon application of the sealing strip will work its way up into the grooves and 20 extending along the sealing strip so as to prevent the escape of refrigeration from the interior of the car between the stiles and rails and the sealing strip.

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 illustrate the configuration of the sealing strip when it is deformed by forcing the door into the door opening by means of the mechanism hereinabove referred to. The compression to which the sealing strip is subjected is clearly shown. Moreover, the tension or stretch which occurs simultaneously in the ribs 24 is also clearly illustrated and it is evident that when the door is moved laterally out of the door opening the forces set up in the ribs 21 will act upon the body 11 of the sealing strip. to restore it substantially to its original contour. The permanent set of the body 11 is therefore minimized.

It will be apparent that numerous changes and modifications in the details of the invention will be clear to those skilled in the art. It is intended, therefore, that all such modifications and changes be comprehended within this invention which is to be limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

We claim:

1. A sealing strip formed of rubber or the like for sliding flush doors of railway cars comprising an arcuate body, a flange extending inwardly from one side of said body, said flange having an inner depending portion, a flange extending from the same side of said body adjacent to said first flange below said first flange and in spaced relationship to said depending portion, a flange extending outwardly from the opposite side of said body, said body being compressed when sealing said door, and resilient means carried by said body and placed under tension by the force compressing said body, said resilient means acting upon said body upon release of said compressive force to restore said body substantially to its initial contour.

2. A sealing strip formed of rubber or the like for sliding flush doors of railway cars comprising an arcuate body, a flange extending inwardly from one side of said body, said flange having an inner depending portion, a flange extending from the same side of said body adjacent to said first flange below said first flange and in spaced relationship to said depending portion, a flange extending outwardly from the opposite side of said body, said body being compressed when sealing said door, and resilient means carried by said body and extending between said sides of said body, said means being placed under tension when said body is compressed.

3. A sealing strip formed of rubber or the like for sliding flush doors of railway cars comprising an arcuate body, a flange extending inwardly from one side of said body, said flange having an inner depending portion, a flange extending from the same side of said body adjacent to said first flange below said first flange and in spaced relationship to said depending portion, a flange extending outwardly from the opposite side of said body, said body being compressed when sealing said door, and spaced vertical ribs extending between said sides of said body and lying above said flanges, said ribs being placed under tension when said body is compressed.

4. A molded rubber sealing strip for sliding flush doors of railway cars comprising an arcuate body, a flange extending inwardly from one side of said body, said flange having an inner depending portion, a flange extending from the same side of said body adjacent to said first flange below said first flange and in spaced relationship to said depending portion, a flange extending outwardly from the opposite side of said body, said body being compressed when sealing said door, and integrally molded spaced vertical ribs extending between said sides of said body and lying above said flanges, said ribs being placed under tension when said body is compressed.

5. A sealing strip formed of rubber or the like for sliding flush doors of railway cars comprising an arcuate body, a flange extending inwardly from one side of said body, said flange having an inner depending portion, a flange extending from the same side of said body adjacent to said first flange below said first flange and in spaced relationship to said depending portion, a flange extending outwardly from the opposite side of said body, said inwardly extending flange sloping downwardly from said one side of said body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,023,917 Darbyshire Dec. 10, 1935 2,041,946 Nave May 26', 1936 2,055,851 Pleasant Sept. 29, 1936 2,102,578 Gail Dec. 14, 1937 2,113,152 Johnston Apr. 5, 1938 2,172,458 Shuart Sept. 12, 1939 2,379,193 Shields Ian. 26, 1945 2,632,214 Madland et al Mar. 24, 1953 

